A mother was more than four times over the alcohol limit when she crashed her car in which her teenage daughter was a passenger.

Lydia Clark was breath tested after ramming the back of another car in a queue and found to have 149 micrograms of alcohol in her body – 35 is the limit.

Clark, a 47-year-old mother-of-two, of Rossall Road, Cleveleys, who works as a manager, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

She was sentenced to 10 weeks jail suspended for 12 months, ordered to do up to 20 days rehabilitation supervised by the probation service, disqualified from driving for three years and told to pay £85 costs with £115 victims’ surcharge by District Judge Jim Clarke.

The judge told her: “This is a high reading. Driving with excess alcohol in your system is a serious offence and this was made worse by the fact you had your teenage daughter with you and there was a collision.”

Prosecutor, Andrea Fawcett, said police were called to an accident on June 22 about 6pm, on Norcross Lane where Clark’s Vauxhall Zafira had crashed into the back of another car which had stopped in a queue of traffic.

The prosecutor added: “She had her 14-year-old daughter in the car at the time and she told officers she was on her way to pick up other children.”

Clark said she had felt fit to drive at the time. Her husband had left her in 2013 and after this she started to have a problem with alcohol.

Stephen Duffy, defending, told the judge that his client, who had no previous convictions, said the night before the offence she had drunk most of a bottle of gin in the early hours.

The next day she was not working and she had a glass of wine with lunch before having a sleep.

Early evening she felt fit to drive and went out in the car with her daughter.

Since the offence she had been to Alcoholics Anonymous and booked an appointment with alcohol rehabilitation specialists.

Nicola Bell, 40, theft

A woman accused of theft has been put on the wanted list.

Nicola Bell, 40, of Fulwood Avenue, Grange Park, who is accused of stealing £31 of food from Iceland had a warrant without bail issued by magistrates for her arrest after she failed to attend court.

Hannah Whitehead, 28, drug-driving

A home care worker whose car showed up on a police check as having no MoT was found to have cannabis in her body.

Hannah Whitehead, 29, who gave a care of address at Horncliffe Road, South Shore, pleaded guilty to drug driving.

She was banned from the road for 12 months, fined £250 with £85 and ordered to pay £30 costs.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said police saw Whitehead driving a Clio on East Park Drive, on April 24 at 9.15am.

The officer thought the two rear tyres were bald and checks showed the car had no MoT.

She was stopped and the officer noticed she smelt strongly of cannabis.

A blood test showed 3.5 micrograms of cannabis in her body – 2 is the limit.

John McLaren, defending, said his client, who had no previous convictions, had struggled with mental health problems for some time,

Someone had recommended cannabis to help her sleep and it had worked for her. She could now lose her job.

Darren Drinkwater, 40, threatening behaviour

Drunken Darren Drinkwater confronted a complete stranger and threatened to cut off his head with a knife.

Blackpool Magistrates heard how Drinkwater, 40, was a chronic alcoholic who downed up to six litres of strong cider a day.

Drinkwater, of Red Bank Road, Bispham admitted threatening behaviour and was given a 10 week jail term suspended for a year.

He must also undertake 20 days rehabilitation.

Eddie Harrison, prosecuting, said that a man and his wife were shopping in Bispham when they were confronted by Drinkwater who told the male: “I am pychotic.

“I have a knife and I am going to rip your head of with it.”

Shocked shopworkers called the police and they tried to bundle Drinkwater out of the shop.

When police arrived one officer drew his taser and Drinkwater became compliant.

He was arrested and when searched he did not have a knife.

Brett Chappell, defending, said: “This man wholeheartedly apologises for what he did that day.

“He has a massive drink problem over many years. He has no coping mechanism.

“He has now found help from a friend who has taken him in and is advising him.”